News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-09-22
AMONG THE FIRE LADDIES.
THE GREAT FIRE IN sCUTARI.
A Graphic Picture of the Operations
of a Turkish Fire Department.

OF TURKISH
At p. m. the cry of fire was raised
in Scutari, one of the three parts OF the
city of Constantinople, says letter
writer. This district is ON the the Asiat-
ic side of the Bosporus, and is built
up from the waters edge to the top OF
high hills two miles distant The Turk
ish quarter rises up on the southern
hills, while the Armenian quarter is to
the north, separated by a valley, but
rising to higher ground.
On this highest ground the church
bells began ringing. 1t was Sunday,
but the frantic ringing of those great
bells told of no common service and drew
no common congregation.
The wind blew furiously from the
north; the air and ground were perfect
ly dry, for no rain has fallen here for
weeks, and the houses in all this part of
the city are mere tinder boxes, built of
wood, huddled closely together, dry rs
wood can be only when seasoned by the
strong, dry winds that blow beneath
the summer sun. No wide, paved ave
nues, upon which engines can collect to
fight fire with fire, but narrow lanes
overhung with balconies, and heaps of
rubbish everywhere.
Not fire engine proper on this side
the Bosporus, but some little boxes with
handles to them, and nozzles looking
more like garden syringes than instru-
ments with which to fight fire. No wat
er supply, save here and there well or
cistern.
This was the state of affairs when the
cry of ''Fire !" was raised. Within half
an hour flames were issuing from every
| house in district nearly a quarter of
mile long and two hundred yards wide.
The wind was sweeping down over the
| hills, carrying great brands into untouch-
| ed parts of the city, until it seemed that
a road must be cut straight through
these densely populated quarters both
Armenian and Turkish, down to the
waters edge.
Fire brigades were called out, and
dozen of those little boxes called fire en-
gines were carried from place to place.
The fire was backing up toward one
wide street on the east side, eating its
way through O number of miserable
shanties. Near us stood Turkish Off
Ger with fifty soldiers, doing nothing.
He saw us and said:
"What shall do2'
We told him to tear down those old
shanties and prevent the fire from reach
ing their fine avenue. He turned away
and we saw him no more. just then
two fire companies brought their Cen
gines" and set them down. These
asked for water, but no water was to be
had. Finally, small cask of water was
brought and poured into the box, for
these "engines" have no suction arrange
mcnt, and the men pumped till some
force was gained and small stream of
water was put Oh the side of a house for
half minute. The water was used up
and the engines stood there useless.
My eyes lighted upon a despairing
face that 1 knew belonged to no Turkish
subject. A man, with gray moustache,
wearing an old hat, n shirt, and panta-
looms, with such look of sad agony as
the Turk cannot know. He looked to-
ward me and l stepped forward and
asked, "Is your house near here9"
eyes, just there" and he pointed in
the path of the destroying monarch.
"The Turks do not want the fire put
out; they won't let the men use the
water"
A fierce light shot from his gray eyes
as he spoke. He did not know that the
fire companies only work for those who
are rich enough to pay them, and this
helps the rich and drives the poor to the
wall.
Most of the engines were employed
by the insurance agents. They were
about, looking where houses could be
saved, and then directing their efforts
in that direction. In the evening the
wind lulled somewhat. The Pasha was
ON the scene, sitting in his chair, smok-
ing cigarettes and having an attendant
bearing q decanter beside his chair. He
was trying to prevent the backing up of
the fire toward the north, and had COM
pany of soldiers with hooks on long
poles, trying to tear down n shanty.
They succeeded ia tearing ii down, and
made a heap of rubbish twelve feet high
of Slight material, Just the thing for
bonfire. Then the men stood and leaned
on their hooks until the flames almost
reached the rubbish, and then the Pasha
thought it well to clear some of it away.
Just then great commotion occurred,
and with blowing of bugles and ringing
of bells the fire engine-a real engine
this-drawn by foam-fecked pair of
horses, came rolling in from Pera, across
the Bosporus. A great space was
cleared, and the company from Pera
surveyed the scene, but there was no
water, and after a while they turned
around and drove away. They had done
what they could.
Down the same street came another
fire eompany-four men bearing the fire
box and a dozen running before to clear
the way, while another dozen carried the
hose in the rear. They were running ut
full tilt, yelling as they ran, and sud
denly the whole company, fire engine
and all, lay in q heap in the middle of
the dusty road. No fatal results. They
rose and went on as before.
The fire ragged until midnight.
Churches, schools, and dwellings were
levelled to the ground, and this morn
ing forest of chimneys rising above n
mass of ashes marks the place where
fifteen hundred houses stood yesterday.
Twelve thousand people are left without
homes, but the summer time makes it
easy for them to live out of doors until
they can find shelter.
This is glimpse of fire and its con-
tigencies in the capital of Turkey. Mo
hammedan fatalism seems illustrated by
the conduct of Government officials.
"God wills it; we cannot oppose God"
People are made homeless and pen
niless, property is destroyed, the State
slowly falls to pieces; but the Turk sits
by and smokes. To his credit | must
say that the law makes the erection of
ali frame houses conditional upon their
being succeed, and this is of great
value. Yet great city with no water
supply when engines are at hand lis to
us pitiable sight. Even Athens, the
capital of little Greece, is better off.
But Constantinople waits for new occu-
pfc